Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-01-07
WHAT VoUooo WORSHIP IS.
The signifisation of the Word 'voudoo. -
Worship In Hayti-femples.

The Signih,ation of the Word 'youdoo. -
Worship In Hayti-rempIes.
Sir Spenser st. John gives very
spirited description of Voudoo worship in
Hayti. According TO the true secretaries
Of the Voudoos, he says, who maintain
Its principle and obey its rules, 'NOudoo'
signifies an all powerful and supernatural
being on whom depend sll the events
which take place in the world. This
being is the non-venOmous serpent-one
so common in Hayti-and it Is under its
auspices that all those assemble who pro
fess this doctrine. Acquaintance with
the past. knowledge of the present, pre-
science of the future, all sppertain 10 this
serpent. that only consents, however, to
communicate his pow ar and prescribe his
will through the organ Of grand priest,
whom the secretaries elect, and still more
by that Of the negreSs, whom the love of
the latter had raised to the rank of high
priestess. These two delegates, who de-
clare themselves inspired by their god or
in whom the gift Of inspiration is really
manifested, in the opinion of their fol-
lowers, bear the pompous name Of king
and queen, or the despOtic one of mas
ter and mistress, or the touching titles
of papa and 'mamya-' They are dur
ing their whole lives the chiefs OF the
great family OF the Voudoos, and they
have a right 70 the unlimited respect of
those who compose it. tits they who de-
eide If the serpent agrees TO admit a can
didste into the society, who prescribe the
obligations and the duties he has to full
fill; 1t is they who receive the gifts and
presents which the gods expects as = just
homage TO him
ITO dfsobey them, to resist them, is to
disobey God himself and expose ones self
TO the greatest miSfortunes. This system
OF domination on the one hand and Of
blind obedience on the other being well
established, they at fixed dates meet to-
GeIher and the king and queen OF thu
Noudoo preside, following the formi
which were probably brought from Africa
and TO Ehich Creole customs have added
many variations and some traits which
betray European ideas. as for instance
the soarf or rich belt which the queen
wears at these assemblies, and which she
occasionally varies"
As for the practice Of Voudoo worship,
II D. well to say that Of the yotaries in
Hayti there seem to be two classes
1AroS "AAo N'SSAAAP 1hS SSA pm oAAN VA
animal sacrifice TO appease his wrath or
court HIS favor, and those who kill human
beings and not only offer them as sacri-
fees, but eat their flesh or the former
fully Is per cent. of the inhabitants OF
Hayti are alleged TO be given over to that
kind Of Voudoolsm TO a certain extent; of
the latter sufficient has been told. The
temples OF theVoudoo are generally small,
unpretentious wooden buildings-called
by the natives Humfort-and are scat
tered generally throughout the interior OF
Hayti. Some of them are most incOn-
gruous in their interior decorations, and
one situated q little distance back OF
Hesux du Cap was profusely decorated
with illutrations from colored weekly
pamphlets, interspersed with gaudy
chromoic pictures of various saints
New York World.